Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carolina and Mayaguez

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayaguez: $1,294 a month against $2,257 in Carolina, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Carolina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
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Carolina Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Mayaguez
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Mayaguez Living Index

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Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,257

/mo nomad

Mayaguez

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carolina and in Mayaguez

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carolina and in Mayaguez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,257 in Carolina versus $1,294 in Mayaguez.

Carolina $2,257
Mayaguez $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,121 in Carolina versus $2,001 in Mayaguez.

Carolina $3,121
Mayaguez $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,986 in Carolina versus $2,709 in Mayaguez.

Carolina $3,986
Mayaguez $2,709

Living in Carolina is roughly 74% more expensive than in Mayaguez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carolina is 66% above, Mayaguez is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 $13.48

$12.98 $12.98

3.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$68.5 $68.5

-20.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.18 $9.18

10.68%

Cappuccino

$3.19 $3.19

$3.51 $3.51

-9.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.24 $1.24

138.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.08 $1.08

60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.05 $3.05

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.27 $4.27

18.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.19 $2.19

-8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.58 $3.58

-3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.34 $2.34

-26.92%

Eggs

$4.62 $4.62

$7.46 $7.46

-38.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$12.64 $12.64

-42.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 $8.53

$9.47 $9.47

-9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.38 $13.38

-5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.92 $4.92

-38.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.67 $2.67

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.83 $4.83

-47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$4.74 $4.74

-23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.68 $3.68

-19.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.03 $4.03

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.52 $3.52

-40.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.64 $1.64

23.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.03 $12.03

-18.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 $18.32

$15.79 $15.79

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.97 $2.97

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.06 $4.06

20.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.06 $40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.79 $49.79

$42.63 $42.63

16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.96 $0.96

21.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.8K $39.8K

$34.1K $34.1K

16.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

8.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$599 $599

$323 $323

85.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$68.6 $68.6

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$69.5 $69.5

13.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.70 $10.70

$27.80 $27.80

-61.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 $8.20

$10.48 $10.48

-21.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$509 $509

$837 $837

-39.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 $9,423

$12.7K $12.7K

-25.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 $89.7

$56.1 $56.1

59.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 $25.49

$61.0 $61.0

-58.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$111 $111

-18.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$116 $116

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 $1,078

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 $746

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,479 $3,479

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 $2,307

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,964 $1,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

6.55

-4.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Carolina: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mayaguez: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carolina

$746 33%

Mayaguez

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carolina

$729 32.3%

Mayaguez

$461 35.6% 36.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Carolina

$350 15.5%

Mayaguez

$413 31.9% 18.2% $64

Eating Out

Carolina

$221 9.8%

Mayaguez

$207 16% 6.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Carolina

$133 5.9%

Mayaguez

$155 11.9% 16.6% $22

Getting Around

Carolina

$52 * 2.3%

Mayaguez

$10 * 0.8% 80.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Carolina

$27 1.2%

Mayaguez

$49 3.8% 79.9% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55 in Carolina vs $68 in Mayaguez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $413 per month, with Carolina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Carolina

🇵🇷 Mayaguez

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Carolina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,304

57,566

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carolina Mayaguez 130 km

From you

Carolina
Mayaguez

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Carolina vs Mayaguez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayaguez wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Carolina. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mayaguez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,385 in Carolina and $1,941 in Mayaguez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $509 in Carolina versus $837 in Mayaguez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Carolina – a meal for two runs $55 versus $68 in Mayaguez. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,257 in Carolina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mayaguez but tight or insufficient in Carolina. The gap between the two cities makes Mayaguez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.